Vast ‘fields’ of solar panels have been installed at six Renault production plants across France to help reduce the company’s CO2 emissions, lower its electricity bill… and protect new vehicles.

The panels – more correctly known as photovoltaic installations – cover a combined area of 400,000 square metres. If that’s hard to picture, consider it this way: it’s the equivalent of 60 soccer pitches.

They have been installed at Renault’s plants in Douai, Maubeuge, Flins, Batilly, Sandouville and Cléon and together are capable of producing 52,600 MWh of electricity a year. That’s enough to power a town of 15,000 people.

Booming new car sales in Russia have seen the world’s manufacturers scrabbling for a slice of the action. But as these newcomers arrive, they are discovering that Renault has something of a head start… the French firm has been building and selling cars in Russia for nearly 100 years: it opened its first factory in the country in 1916.

As part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, Renault and Nissan work with communities around the world to improve the lives of disadvantaged people. This two-minute video looks at the Alliance’s CSR activities in Brazil, a key market for the auto group.
 
The video was produced in partnership with the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for its Responsible Business TV series. The video -- which includes footage of the Alliance’s work with underprivileged children in Brazil -- aired on CNBC in late August.

Here in Seoul Headquarters, at our Technical Centre in Giheung  and at our factory in Busan we are celebrating 10 years of Renault’s relaunch of Samsung Motors under Renault Samsung Motors,  and if one day there is such a thing as an Alliance company, then RSM epitomizes it!

Good morning, everyone.

Today is a very special day… for all of us at Nissan… for everyone who has eagerly awaited zero-emission mobility… and for society’s hope for a cleaner future.
The launch of Nissan LEAF, the world’s first mass-market, affordable zero-emission vehicle, is a true transportation breakthrough.

The ambitions of Renault-Nissan to be the world leader in zero emissions have received timely boosts – and this time well away from the Salon d’Auto in Paris.

Leading hire car company Avis has just announced that it has pre-ordered 500 Renault EVs while LeasePLan has signed an agreement with Nissan to offer the LEAF on its fleet in Europe from next year.

The Alliance factory in Chennai, India, which is gearing up to start exporting the Nissan Micra to Europe later this month, has just achieved three significant milestones in a remarkably short time frame.

We have yet to launch them in the showrooms but our electric cars are already winning awards.

The Alliance EVs are the editor’s choice in this year’s Green Awards run by What Car?, the leading UK consumer motoring magazine.

The Editor’s Award is made by magazine chief Steve Fowler who said: “The electric car has come of age – and that’s down to the Renault-Nissan Alliance. While other manufacturers are still making plans and running trials, Renault and Nissan have beaten them to the punch with proper electric cars you’ll actually be able to buy and run by this time next year. You’ll want one, too."

Fowler added that cars such as the Nissan Leaf and Renault Fluence will change people’s perceptions of electric motoring for good.

Renault might not be the first car manufacturer to market electric cars, as Fluence ZE and Kangoo ZE will hit the road mid 2011, but in order to give a flavour of those exciting models, a lot of pre series cars will be seen on European roads this year.

Last week, the Alliance confirmed the next step in its partnership with Bajaj Auto by signing an MOU to build an affordable four-wheel vehicle for India and other emerging markets.  Although this was an expected milestone in a single program, it also represents a larger more significant strategic direction for the Alliance: mobility for all.